Ages 4 - 8
  Barbie
Styling Head & BeyBlade Key Chains (BasicFun):
Key Chains and Back Pack Clips are all the rage. These miniatures are
perfect replicas of the real thing. The Barbie Styling Head has a secret compartment
that includes a brush, 4 hair bands, 4 barrettes and a mini tiara. The BeyBlades
has a mini-ripcord and is ready for mini-battle action! Our testers just
thought these were the coolest! They average under $5.00 and come in tons
of styles from SpongeBob, to Nemo, and mini versions of games like
Operation. This website http://www.ultimatekeychains.com/
has a lot of them.
Crayola
Zoogles (Binney & Smith) The package came with
three "creature" statues and a set of water-color paints, and the
children paint the statues. Our four-year-old tester was excited and
entertained for about 45 minutes while she painted two of the statues. The only
adult assistance that was required was to open the package it came in, and to
get a cup of water for the paints. Then, our tester was completely independent
and engaged as she painted them. Our eight-year-old tester painted the third
statue. It took her much less time, and she did not seem as excited. Our parent
reported that the ability of his daughter to work independently was the best
feature; however, two other good qualities became apparent. First, the material
the statues are made of seemed to absorb the water from the paint which made
them dry almost instantly (and kept the mess to a minimum). Second, the paints
that came with the kit have been used to create additional artwork on paper. So,
while the statues did not take too long to paint, the use of the paints
continued longer. Ages 3 + up, $4.99
Crayola
Twistables (Binney & Smith) You can never go wrong with
crayons as a stocking stuffer and these are just the best! They twist up
for continuous use, they are in fabulous new colors like metallic and
rainbow! You never have to sharpen them or peel down paper and they are
much more sturdy. They come in a plastic barrel. They are the
perfect size gift to mail and send to your grandchild - and kids of all ages
love to color - even parents! Ages 3+, $2.99 per pack.
Old
Maid (eeBoo) eeBoo
has created these wonderful card games by commissioning art from the best
children's book illustrator's. The cards come in a two-piece gift box with
a sliding tray. Cards are slightly oversized (not too big for small hands) and
laminated for durability. My daughter absolutely loves playing Old Maid,
Go Fish and Animal Rummy. These sets are beautiful, durable and
inexpensive. Ages 4 +, $7.95 You can
find them at http://www.geniusbaby.com
Green Alligator Game
(Vida Games) Our tested reported that "this is such a fun
game!" A variation of charades using words instead of actions. They played this as a family and loved it. The
boys (4 & 6) even asked if they could play it by themselves, which is possible since pictures are included along with words on the cards.
Our testers are looking forward to using when they go on their next road trip.
(Ages 4+, $9.99)
Groovy
Girls (Manhattan Toy) Groovy Girls are
all the rage still and these cute little zipper pulls and animals make great
little gifts. They are easy to mail and the kids just seem to be thrilled
with them. Our testers range in age from 4-7 and they all loved
them. Click here to find actual Groovy Girls
and accessories.
Groovy
Girls (by Manhattan Toy Co)
Last year our tester's mother was scurrying about looking in every store to find
Groovy Girls for her daughter. Apparently all her girlfriends had every
single one. That's why our tester was so thrilled when we gave her Groovy
Girl Vanessa from the USA. Vanessa is decked out in a patriotic outfit
including a flag top. Just like her friends, Vanessa's clothes can be
changed. Needless to say, our 5 1/2-year-old tester thought Vanessa was
just great. The mother of our tester has reported that her 5 1/2-year-old has
asked Santa for Victoria and Verity for Christmas. Ages 3-12, $9.99
Rescue
Heroes (Fisher-Price)
These are action figures for the younger end of this group. Our testers,
ages 3-5 just loved the Rescue Heroes characters. These sturdy figures
stand up well on their own which is a perk for little hands. The parents
like them because they represent real heroes like Fire Fighters, and Police
Officers. At $8.99 they are a great bet!
Travel Lite-Brite (Hasbro)
Do you remember lite-brite? Well our testers Mom thought this little
set packed the same big punch. Her daughter, age 6 loves to set up the
pegs and the push the top to see them light up. Her mom likes the little
storage drawer for all the pegs and that it kept her daughter entertained for
hours. Note: This is not good in the car unless your grandchild is older
but great to take when visiting. Ages 4+, $7.99 Available at most major
retailers.
Puzzle
Pete Clingee Thingee (Hasbro) Our
tester, aged 5, really enjoyed this puzzle. First there was the challenge
of putting the puzzle together, then there was the fun of putting the clingee
thingees on the puzzle to create different looks. There are also puzzles
available in this collection for other aged children This one is for Ages
3+, $7.99 Available at most major
retailers.
Burt's Bees Lip Balm
(Burt's Bees) At just $1.99
you can't go wrong with this. This is probably the best lip balm to soothe
chapped lips. They are an Earth Friendly company and their product is all
natural. Plus it won't break the bank!
Wham-O
Snowman Kit (Wham-O) Last Christmas
it snowed and snowed at my parents house. Since most of us were recovering
from a miserable stomach bug Christmas was more relaxed than usual. Well,
after had snowed about 2 feet my husband and I decided to take the kids outside
and build a snowman. Long story short, we built a HUGE SNOWMAN. You
can click here to see the picture. The only problem was that we didn't
have any carrots, coal or accessories for him. We dug in the snow looking
for sticks and we eventually settled on chalk for the eyes. As great as
our snowman was he would have been wonderful if we had this kit. This year
my kids are praying for snow so they can repeat last year - only this time they
know they can make him really cool! At $9.99 this kit is a bargain and a
snowman makers dream!
Calendars
- (Mead) - Calendars make wonderful gifts that you can give your grandchildren
either at Christmastime or at the beginning of the new school year. This
one is perfect for those Disney Princess fans, however Mead also makes calendars
that cover everything from Betty Boop to The Three Stooges. Most retail
for under $10.0
Holiday Advent Calendars
- Most Advent calendars are under $10. Here's a link to hundreds.
There are also calendars that count down the eight nights of Chanukah. We found a great "Chanukah Countdown" calendar by WJ
Fantasy for $12.95; you can purchase it by clicking here.
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